KVM switch
 

Hi,

I installed RH with a KVM switch inplace. It's the kind with just cables that you double tap Scroll Lock to switch between PCs.

I took my PC to work to take advantage of the DSL for a really huge download and I couldn't a mouse to work. The keyboard and video were fine.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Tom

I use Belkin KVMs at work, and linux often has a problem if I switch between systems. The mouse jumps all around and does clicking and moves windows all over the screen and stuff.

I have to make it a point to start the machine and not change systems if I use Linux on the KVM. If I do that, I am fine. I haven't found a better resolution on the KVMs.

i use a Zonet KVM3004 here at work to switch between the linux servers and window$.
i don't really notice any difference with the mouse when i switch over (and I do it quite often...switching from Linux to Window$ that is ;) )

http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/.../msg00130.html

That seems to have one solution and describes the problem pretty well. I just went from a cheaper trackball to a logitech trackman wheel and it started having issues when switching between systems. I find that unplugging the mouse for about 5 seconds fixes it, especially if I'm pointed at an empty slot on the kvm while I reset the mouse, and it doesn't happen quite as often when I'm quick on the keys (I think the problem is that this new mouse is more sensitive to losing power, so keeping the transition fast helps? )

you know I just thought of something. i had some problems with my mouse when i first started using it.

i had a USB mouse but the KVM needed to have a serial port. even using an adapter to take the USB to serial didn't work. I had to use an actual serial mouse to get it to work.

not sure if that is your case but it was for me :)

it's actually been working better now since I've gotten faster at clicking between computers on my kvm. I'm using a USB to PS/2 converter, and I had some trouble with one machine the first time I went to a USB mouse (turns out it was a BIOS option for USB legacy mice), but it's happening on both of them now. I'm tempted to try the hardware hack with a transistor to see if that fixes it completely.

Belkin KVM/Mouse Temporary Workaround
 

I found that if you unplug your mouse from the KVM for a couple of seconds and plug it back in, your mouse recovers and behaves correctly again. What a pain, but it seems to work and it is a heck of a lot less intrusive than restarting X or rebooting.

I have only had this problem with my Belkin KVM. My previous IOGear KVM Seemed to work fine when switching between machines.

My setup:
Belkin SOHO KVM (F1DS104P 4 Port)
Microsoft Mouse (Wireless Intellimouse Explorer 2.0 or USB Intellimouse Explorer 1.0 )
Linux Distro (Gentoo) running KDE

Mouse works fine between Windows boxes with KVM, seems X (KDE) has issues with what ever the KVMs are doing.

Hope that helps out in the short term until some genius determines what the real problem is and fixes it :-)

Well, as evidence that it's hardware failure, my kvm totally bugged out on me and won't acknowledge the mouse at all last time I checked it (which was a couple weeks ago because I've been moving). I've bought a different kvm (for half the price of the IOGear one) and will give that a try as well.